Just got this bag today! I could not be happier! I was afraid that it would be too big because I recently bought the
Oakley 3-in-1 Blade and the width on that one was so big, it practically blocked me out from the back as if I could be easily folded and put squarely inside the bag itself. So, with the Metron 25 SM/MD, it is just the right size and super nifty! It is the perfect companion for a metro rider.
Straight out of the box, it did not look any bigger than the
Under Armour Select Backpack, so not overwhelming at all. The fabric is made out of an extremely durable material so you know this one will last you for some years to come. Also,
Osprey has a universal guarantee with no time limit for repair and replacement so you're in good hand.
The pocket on the lid is bigger and deeper than I expected, which is great for organization. The straps on the back are well padded for great comfort. The only minor problem I can foresee is the two pockets on each side of the strap, when you're wearing the backpack, ride up to near your chin, so it's a bit annoying but I'll live, I think. You could tighten the straps but that would make it hard to slip them off when you need to. Whatever, your call. It's not a big deal. I can fit my credit cards and metro card in the bigger pocket, which is a huge convenience on the go. You can't fit your phone in either pocket, though, unless you have a tiny phone, like one of those dinosaur phones before the age of smartphones
The belt buckles are detachable, which is great because they were getting in the way when I tried to wear the bag.
The front zippered pocket is amazing! I have a bi-fold wallet, a paperback book (about 500+ pages - think Game of Thrones), pens, a big hand sanitizer bottle, keys, some other junks and I still have room!
The inside is quite spacious. The backpack sleeve is against the hard back with a wide
velcro to secure it. Attached to this laptop sleeve is a smaller sleeve that you can use for your Ipad. I can fit my computer charger, my
gym clothes, and a pair of
sneakers and still have some room left. Next to this stuff, I have my 15" Macbook Pro inside an Incase cover and a 1-subject notebook and there's still room if you want to hoard more stuff.
On one side of the bag, there is an almost hidden zippered pocket, it's supposed to be for your U-lock but meh, you can use if for anything, really. It's vertical and runs almost the entire length of the backpack and is about 3 inches or so deep. You can't fit a 32 oz water bottle in it but you can certainly fit a typically sized one.
The rain fly is right under the lid and is easy to operate (see the manual)
OVERALL: This bag is so great, I'm contemplating getting a second one just in case something happens to this one. I am one happy commuter today! Get this bag! You won't be disappointed! Instead, you'd be wondering how you could have ever commuted all this time without the Metron 25.